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You’ve never been closer to the action than you are with this 36x wide-angle optical Zoom-NIKKOR ED glass lens. Its optical zoom (22.5–810mm) pulls you in from wide panoramas to crisp close ups. Plus, a side zoom control marks the end of shaky zooms—freeing you to capture great action photos with minimal blur. So whether you’re shooting a mountain vista or zooming in on a snowboarder, say goodbye to missed shots. This lens catches it all. It even allows for macro shooting as close as 0.4 inches!

Whatever you want to shoot, the COOLPIX P500 is ready.

You’ll never miss a shot with this versatile camera because it starts right up, has a quick autofocus, and shoots five shots in approximately one second—at full resolution. Plus, multiple Continuous Modes allow for a variety of high speed shooting options up to a blazing 120 frames per second (reduced resolution).

When a single picture just isn’t enough, the versatile COOLPIX P500 features a One-Touch record button that lets you shoot Full HD (1080p) movies at 30fps while recording audio with a built-in stereo microphone. It’s great for sporting events because it will record high speed activity in slow motion, catching action missed by the human eye. The COOLPIX P500 also has an HDMI-CEC output for simple playback on your HDTV or computer—so now it’s as easy to watch your own movies as it is to shoot them.

Panoramas: Seamless, Effortless, Genius.

Mountains. Canyons. Sunsets. The glory of these vistas is the breadth and grandeur of their natural beauty. That’s why the COOLPIX P500 includes Easy Panorama Mode that combines multiple shots into a seamless 180- or 360-degree panoramic picture. Simply move the camera as you shoot and let the COOLPIX P500 combine the shots for you. Choose from 19 different Scene Modes or let the camera automatically select the most appropriate settings. Either way, you’ll have a panoramic shot that captures the size, scope, and splendor of the most majestic scenes imaginable.

Whatever you’re shooting, it couldn’t be easier than with the COOLPIX P500.

The COOLPIX P500 is master of convenience—and the ideal choice for capturing fast action, low-light images, panoramas, and stunning portraits. And its Smart Portrait System includes a Blink Warning that warns you when your subject may have blinked. It also includes in-camera Red-Eye technology that automatically fixes red-eye, a Face-Priority feature that can focus up to 12 faces and a Skin Softening feature that smoothes out skin tones at three different levels. This versatile camera even allows for macro shooting as close as 0.4 inches. Plus, it comes with a rechargeable Li-ion battery that lasts for approximately 220 pictures.

Stunning photos in not so stunning shooting conditions.

Whether you’re aiming at a midnight skyline or zooming in on a hang-glider in a sun drenched sky, Nikon enables you to take incredible photographs and movies. With its 12.1-megapixel backside-illuminated CMOS sensor, dual image processors and Nikon’s EXPEED C2 image processing engine, it frees you to shoot highly detailed images with minimal noise and distortion.

The COOLPIX P500 is ideal for shooting high speed action, so you’re sure to capture the fastest skateboarders, skiers, and windsurfers. It’s armed with ISO speeds up to 3200 and equipped with a five-way Vibration Reduction (VR) Image Stabilization System that reduces the streaky images associated with shaky cameras. The COOLPIX P500 even has a motion detector that identifies moving subjects and then adjusts the camera’s settings to ensure that you won’t miss a frame of the action.

Any angle. Any lighting. Any shot.

The COOLPIX P500 is all you need to shoot eye-catching photographs, thanks to the three-inch, tilting, vari-angle monitor. This 921,000-dot display not only makes it easy to capture, review, and share images, but it also enables you to shoot from unusual angles and tricky vantage points. The Clear Colour Display has a brightness adjustment and an anti-glare coating, so it remains vivid in the most challenging lighting conditions. And for those who want even more compositional freedom, the versatile COOLPIX P500 comes with an eye-level electronic viewfinder.

The COOLPIX P500 puts you in control.

Whether you’re shooting a scenic overlook or a competitive speedboat race, the COOLPIX P500 captures images the way you want them. It lets you select aperture and shutter priorities, and includes a Manual Exposure Mode that puts you in complete control. And shooting at night is a breeze with the Advanced Night Landscape and Advanced Night Portrait Modes. Simply press the shutter release and the COOLPIX P500 will shoot multiple shots and automatically combine them into a single, superior image.

Very Happy with my Nikon P500,
My camera is very good, the zooming, HD and panaromic are all good.. But for better battery life remove the battery from the slot when not in use..
June 4, 2011

Excellence for around 400 bucks
This camera exceeds expectations if you want more than point and shoot but would find a DSLR to be overkill. Easy to use features and menus, lightweight, 36X zoom, so much value for the price. Out of the box, without reading the manual, I took extraordinairy photos. The colors are true and vivid. If you take a good look at this camera and are in the market; you will own it.
June 2, 2011

Fine Features
When not carrying my big SLR I take this with me all the time. Lightness, feel, quality of images, zoom and also flick of a switch I can do some movies which are exceptional.
I would recommend this to any of my friends too.
May 24, 2011

I'm a novice; a point and shoot guy. Vacations, family gatherings, etc.
This camera takes quality shots and has great zoom.
Last week, I was 20 rows back in a dark auditorium taking pics of my grandson on stage. Using AUTO and either zoom or no zoom, this camera's pics were better than all others that shared their shots. I got a head shot with the zoom. It is super.
I've had the camera a couple months. Have not used the video yet. I had the manual printed at a quick print place for just a few bucks. Well written. The camera can do a lot.
May 23, 2011

It does everything well
I got it to do everything. Both the 36x Zoom and the 1 cm macro were important. Right out of the box, my first project was to illustrate an article on knife sharpening. The attached picture is to show the rough edge of the "as delivered" tool. It is 1.6" wide and shows the rough grooves well. I got this on the sixth try and it was only my 20th picture with the camera. I'd say that means it is easy to learn to use. Tomorrow I find my tripod and see how good a picture 36x takes of the moon.
The other reason for buying the camera were reviews and the specs and the company reputation indicated that in daily use it is idiot proof. Back in my film days with a bag full of lenses, adaptors and filters a spontaneous picture was a miracle. Just a few shots around the house proved this does well indoors and out, light and shadow and, perhaps best of all, was not overwhelmed by its own flash.
That gives me a workhorse camera in addition to the flexibility and control to do the occasional image that is worth the time to set up and think through how to do best.
May 22, 2011

Great Camera
This is a great camera!!! Easy to use with lots of features. I would buy it again and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a really good digital camera.
May 21, 2011

Takes Great Photos!
Great shutter release, takes great photos close up, really can zoom in on the action, shows greaat details in the pictures, pictures pick up the color, panorama works great, great battery life, still figuring out what this camera can really do.This is the first time my son has come back from a NASCAR Race and is happy with the pictures.
May 21, 2011

People Always Ask Which Camera I used
I've now carried this camera on two trips within the US and have taken several hunderd photographs with it. The standard question of my friends is always, What camera did you use to take these photos? I know for sure of two friends who also bought it after seeing mine. It is easy to use, relatively, and it takes fantastic photos in difficult situations -- people standing in front of a window where there is bright backlighting or in dimly lit interiors. I also bought it to use for taking photographs of documents for my work and for taking photographs of microfilm frames displayed on a screen -- a librarian tipped me off on this. The close ups for shots like this and for copying documents is spectacular. I was able in two days to photograph nearly 6,000 documents(I bought two extra batteries and a large memory card) and transferred them to my computer, flawlessly. The tranfer program by the way, provided by Nikon, is very flawed and on my Mac failed completely. It is a shabby match for such a fine camera and I hope Nikon does something about it.
May 20, 2011

The huge zoom plus advance stabilization are great
I have only had the camera for a few weeks, but find a lot of positive features such as its great zoom and anti-vibration features. It really works well. I also appreciate the ability to use either the LCD screen or viewfinder. Good solid feel and easy to grip. Photos appear sharp even at large zooms.
May 20, 2011

Easy to use with great results
I’ve been using the P500 for about 3 weeks. During that time I’ve tried it under a variety of conditions, sports, with flash, natural light, etc. and found it to be very easy to use with fine results. The ability to change from shutter preferred to something else is easy and allows for me to compose a scene the way I want it.
I purchased and extra battery to keep one always charged. I would prefer to have a separate charger rather than tie up the camera with its very slow charge mode. I will buy the separate charger to eliminate this.
On the extreme telephoto you need at least a bipod or a tripod would be best, to steady your shot. At its maximum focal length the results are slightly soft. All other zoom positions are quite sharp and the colors are spot on. The P500 quickly boots up and is ready to use in a very short time.
I truly enjoy using this camera. It has many features that I haven’t yet used and I look forward to trying them. Its size and weight are perfect for travel and hiking. Great camera!
May 20, 2011

Takes great pictures!
I was reluctant to buy this camera after having the P90 but I was really surprised that it takes excellent pictures! Easy to hold, great features and very easy to use. Good price!
May 20, 2011

I love this camera almost completly. If it had a hot shoe on top it would be perfect.
May 20, 2011

The Nikon Coolpix P500 lives up to our expectations. It takes beautiful close pictures. I do wish that you could zoom in on the panoramic shots.
May 20, 2011

Everything I expected it to be and MORE!
First off I am not a professional by any means but I know quality when i see it. I purchased this camera with the intent of using it for special events. Family events, Children, Concerts, Football games, etc... But now i find myself using it nearly everyday! So easy to use for the non-experianced in full auto mode. But one click and I have alot of the same controls that I get with my buddy's $1500 Canon DSLR! I have played around with my P500 for a while now and I cannot find a place where I wont take a great picture. Low light, NO LIGHT!, Full sun, Shade, Distance, Extreme Close ups, you name it and it takes an awesome picture. As for the battery I have had no trouble taking nearly 300 pictures at one charge before the battery quit and the camera shut down.
(it warned me for quite a while before it turned off!)
I have included some of the pictures I have taken and you can see the beautiful colors and crisp clear contrasts that this camera has to offer.
May 14, 2011

Zoom, Zoom, Zoom
I have a DSLR, but wanted a "bridge" camera for my daughter to use, as well as one with a great zoom. I went intending to purchase a Canon, but once I held the P500 in my hand, I knew that this was a better option for us. We headed straight out for a weekend trip, and luckily I was able to get quite a few images out of the camera before the battery was discharged. The camera is easy to use and comfortable to hold. I can't wait to attend our first concert with this camera this weekend!
My only "con" so far after a five days is having to charge the battery in the camera. I will definitely be purchasing a spare!
May 4, 2011

Very good
I bought this camera one week ago, before I had the P80 and I wanted to upgrade it because I use the zoom a lot, and I have to say that at the beginning I was disapointed because the sharpness is reduced at 36X, however once you retouch the pictures with any photo editor you fix it perfectly and I think it's (to a certain point) normal this lose of sharpness. I also would like to say that my camera has slept with the battery on 2 nights and it hasn't lost the charge as the other reviews say; but actually the battery lasts less than with the P80.
May 1, 2011

Love it, great for serious aficionados
Great camera, it is true that has a pro sensor bulid in it, it take great pictues and has HD video, and big zoom, dont go for a camera for the mega pixels only this is the best example.
May 1, 2011

Great features, flexible usage, amazing capabities
1st off, the overall look, weight and design of the camera is amazing and very comfortable, the camera is very user friendly and easy to set, the fun you can have with the manual settings is limitless, you can have full control over shutter speeds, aperture values and the manual focus is excellent.
I took one day to learn most of the camera's features and i began to fire away.,
the superzoom is incomparable, the picture can loose some sharpness but how can you complain when you have a telescope in your camera!.
overall it is perfect and you can use it to produce high quality images without having to resort to tons of retouching.
April 26, 2011

So far I'm really impressed. The zooming features are amazing, although I'm getting used to all the features of the camera, I'm really liking what I'm seeing. The quality of the pictures is great. It took me a long time to come to the conclusion of buying this camera, and I am not regretting it one bit. The video as well is great. It's a great camera if you don't want to spend too much on a SLR camera, but want a little bit more than a regular digital camera. Love the big screen and the fact that you can move it. All in all have found no problems with it!! Love it.
April 16, 2011

the best
the general aspect of the camera is excellent. Even the preferences is out of expectation.
April 1, 2011

Fun camera to use
Good quality "bridge" camera -- many of the features of an SLR with the convenience of a point and shoot. Have only had it a short time, so still putting it through the paces and testing it out in different conditions. But so far, I love it!
March 27, 2011

This product has great features.
best camera ever. works perfectly and has never failed me
March 25, 2011

videos and pictures are great lighting with the camera is not a problem and glare on the ocean can be taken care of.
March 23, 2011

Superzoomer with good Image Quality
I love taking pictures and I am used to DSLRs also as to pocket size digicams. But I was looking for a bridge-camera, which isn't too big and heavy and offers a huge zoom range. The P500 has this zoom, starting with an useful wide angel at 22.5 mm and it stops at 810mm telephoto. The image quality is convincing regarding the size of the CMOS Chip. A4 printouts are in high quality and flawless.
There are also many ready made program settings and options, but I think they tend to raise up ISO early in order to keep a short shutter speed. And that is the only weak point of the P500 - it performs in low-light situation not so excellent. Using the telephoto in low light situations, it takes some time to focus. - But who needs 810 mm indoors? Also the low aperture of the objective (3.4-5.7) and the high start ISO of 160 indicate, that the P500 is not a low light performer. BSS helps, but isn't the choice if you want to have the control of the expression and the situation taken with the shot. Daylight outdoor photography (and indoor photography using either the flash - which works really fine - and/or an tripod) produces very good stills. (810mm outdoors should be taken with an shutter speed faster or equal to 1/100 sec to avoid blurred photos). The build quality seems to be superb. The size of this superzoomer is amazingly small (can anyone tell me the difference in matter of size between an entry level DSLR and the HS20 or SX30IS - except the image quality?)
The video function works well, but isn't my interest.
Pros:
+ high image quality (regarding the chipsize)
+ fast
+ zoomrange starts at 22.5
+ small
+ lightwight
Cons:
- weak low light performance
What Nikon could improve:
. include optical anti-shake
. ISO start at 80
. aperture (would result in larger camera body - hm, not really what I want to have)
March 23, 2011

What a fun camera to own!
I have been looking for an easy to use camera that would be great indoors and out. I wanted a camera that will capture those moments that mean the most to a family ... from across the room or across the yard ... I wanted a great zoom but also something that I could get up close and personal with.
This camera lets me capture the bird sitting on the branch of the tree at the end of my yard ... and lets me capture the expression of my daughter while doing her homework.
What a fabulous camera for a Mom on the go!!
I absolutely LOVE it !!!
March 19, 2011

Great cross between big SLR and a point&shoot.
I got tired of lugging around my SLR, 3 lenses, flash and accessories, yet my point&shoot does not have a long enough lens or enough options to meet my requirements. The P500 has it all; compact size, light weight, a very long lens and is packed full of features to allow creativity. This camera has switched me over to Nikon.
March 8, 2011

Impressive!
It takes 2-3 minutes to learn everything about how you can use it properly as a begginer. Takes great shoots even at 36x zoom, great stabilizer too. 5/5 quality/price!
March 5, 2011

exelent
one of the best mega zoom cameras i have ever seen............... but it should have a ho shoe for an external flash or mike............. other wise very nice product according to me 87/100...........
March 2, 2011

great
mammoth zoom....36x
its a great product @ low price.....
but macro is poor..
hs video @120 fps is in vga quality..
tiltable screen is great..
March 1, 2011

This is simply amazing from the quality which is so crisp, and the price is extremely good for this camera. Its a must buy in my opinion
February 27, 2011